Thomas Keller might just be the best chef in America. Not only that, but the man literally wrote the book on sous vide, the preferred geek technique for vacuum-sealed flavor perfection. So what's it like to work in his kitchen?

San Francisco Chronicle writer Sophie Brickman set out to answer that very question by spending some time at French Laundry, Keller's flagship restaurant deep in the heart of California wine country. As you might expect from a chef on the cuttingest edge of culinary technology: like a machine.

Advertisement

Advertisement

It's a fascinating behind the scenes account both for foodies and efficiency fans alike—speckled with tidbits about the reservation staff's Googling habits—that shows the human gears behind some of the most visceral meals in the world. [SFGate; Image credit: CNET]